neepheid

Because they're expensive and I'm a tightwad. You asked...

Unrelated to your efforts, but I would love to have a go on a Westone Rail, just for the experience.

Great success! Bass now silent, unless I don't want it to be. Pots arrived, but got band rehearsal tonight so will have to wait until tomorrow.

Next up for Nine Lives is one of our favourite haunts, Wilsons in Aberdeen on Saturday.

These are not "bargains" as you painted them in your original post. Maybe things even out at the top end but his low cost stuff is horribly overpriced. If you can't understand why people might call you out on this, then with the greatest respect, you need to give your head a wobble instead of lashing out at your fellow BCers.

I'm no expert, and it's zero help to your quest to procure such a bass but if you can't find many examples of a recently issued bass in the second hand market, I think that's a good sign that they're decent basses. People clearly holding onto them.

I'm guessing that's the entire current state of the market for these type of basses. I'm not saying I know everything, but put it this way - today I learned that these basses even existed I don't care about any of that, I don't personally know any of the people involved. All I see is the numbers.

I'll just leave this here... Cort Viola bass - £249, no mention of a case exact same bass from another FB seller, with a hard case - £160 I doubt he'll go that low, he may be the loveliest chap in the world but he's clearly in no hurry to sell.

Well, I started addressing this old bass's weaknesses last night. It was going well - Greco very kindly drilled access holes between all the pickup routes so I can connect the pickup shields together and only have to run one wire into the cavity instead of three, that was good of them... Gratuitous copper shot for the lovers of shiny things... Then... disaster! Managed to get two pickup routes done and connected. They have electrical continuity so I guess I did it right. More copper tape procured, back to it tonight!

If it's any consolation - Sire include a MAHOOSIVE allen key for maximum leverage...

Good info, thanks. I guess they come under the umbrella of "generally unavailable" though - unless Ishibashi get them in sometimes? EDIT - lool, they've got one, and it has been reduced - snap it up and cure your GAS... - https://intl.ishibashi.co.jp/products/12-2800003033887

I don't have to use mine, but I like to...

Well, I'm just a local weekend warrior, so I think our use cases differ somewhat. What are these "Air Miles" you speak of? EDIT - LOL, use "cases". I'm here all week, etc.

Fair enough - I'm a little far away to benefit from the 1:1 service and the cuppa though! Maybe he's pricing it high because although he tentatively offers postage, he doesn't really want the hassle? I can understand that - packing basses (in a courierproof way) for transit is a right royal PITA, but living as I do in the remote outpost of civilisation that is Aberdeen I generally don't have a choice - local market is very small.

Shame about the prices though...

An unpopular opinion. I 85% agree. On the first part (and by extension, presumably the second too), you do occasionally get other bass players in the audience of which some actually come up and talk to you about gear and stuff. I had a lass come up to me at my last gig and ask me about my Reverend Triad as it had caught her eye. She clearly cared (or at least had some interest in what I was playing). It does happen, rarely. -5% agree on those two. In my bands, the rest of them do notice when I get a new bass (it is a source of mirth, generally) and at least one fellow band member has expressed the fact that they have favourites amongst my basses. Another -5% agree. The last one is bob on though (in a live band context at least). I get slaughtered when I say "all basses sound bassy" because it's so reductive, but I do believe it. I favour ones which I don't have to work hard with the EQ to be heard in a live band context, that's about as picky as I get.

You would hope he eventually gets haggled down? Unless he's playing the long game waiting for gullible people who are too lazy to do any research to wander into his orbit?

Dunno, I haven't applied for mining rights yet.

That's a matter of opinion and I think a habit or automatic assumption based upon relative quality available about 10 years ago. Well, maybe because I only gig 30-40 times a year then I don't wear them out as quickly as you Also, I think hard cases suck. I don't use 'em. There, I said it. I am my own roadie. Gig bags are fine.

Dreamers, amirite? I suppose eventually inflation will make it true...

I've got a moon on a stick, but it's the plain model, not the special "sprinkles" edition, sorry

How much is looking cool worth to you? https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1647852875808764

I can't recommend a specific source - I trust you've searched online for "one hole truss rod cover" already?

OP doesn't like wide straps. You're wasting your keyboard's MTBF.

Things have changed a lot in the past 10 years. I firmly believe that the quality at the cheaper end of the market has improved dramatically, whereas the quality at the higher end hasn't as much - not having a dig, in the sense that it had less room to move up in the first place. But I have detected a noticeable squeezing of the top end in this regard which makes the question you're asking now even more pertinent. It's a gut shot to be honest, and sometimes you have no choice - for example if you've got your heart set on something like a G&L L-1000, ASAT or SB-1, your only option is to buy G&L USA because they don't make Tribute versions of those models. But these days I'd have no qualms about taking a Squier over a Fender and trousering the difference, confident in not feeling like I'm missing out on anything. The current Epiphone Thunderbirds are the best T-birds Gibson have never made. It really depends upon the bass you're talking about and what the options are but most of the time, I'd be happy to go with the cheaper option. But if a £1500 bass calls to you and you connect with it, you're not wrong!